Australia slackening US alliance

Kevin Rudd has spoken of a seat in the UN Security Council for Australia by 2014, and promised that his country will increase its activism for the global good through the United Nations. His predecessor John Howard had little regard for this multilateral approach, deciding instead to drag his nation along with the United States and his friend Bush.

Bush, worn out with the US economy's slide and perhaps facing an ignominious exit from the White House, could do little but laud Rudd as a "straightforward fella" and a "fine lad" for honouring his election pledge to roll back Australian troops from Iraq. Not to be outdone, Bush pointed out that he too intends to pull back some US troops from Iraq this year. He attributed both moves to success in Iraq.

Rudd was able to charm the Americans and ease his nation out of a traditional security dependence that had grown increasingly US-centric and unilateral.

Now the question is, can Rudd - with his knowledge of Chinese - work the same magic in China during the last leg of his tour and convince the leadership in Beijing to talk with the Dalai Lama rather than branding him a terrorist?

If he can, it would be a historic accomplishment, akin to the ice-breaking trips to China by US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and President Richard Nixon in the 1970s.